


Flurries of Snow Tinged with Pink

by Kentario



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Eventual Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Self-Harm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-28
Updated: 2018-11-28
Packaged: 2019-09-01 19:30:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16771435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kentario/pseuds/Kentario
Summary: Jack had a secret. Nobody could find out.Unfortunately they did.





	Flurries of Snow Tinged with Pink

Jack had a secret. Nobody could find out.

Unfortunately they did.

***

On the occasion that Jack was late to a meeting, one of the Guardians would be sent to fetch him. Tooth volunteered and took off with glee at seeing the young man earlier than the others.

She flew to his lake and flitted about, calling out to him.

‘’Jack, there’s a meeting! Where are you?’’

She heard the shuffle of snow and turned around to see Jack kicking snow into a pile and smoothing out his hoodie. It was meant to look like a carefree action but it obviously had some sort of goal. He scratched at his hair awkwardly and grinned. ‘’Sorry, I forgot it was today!’’

His behavior was a bit off but Jack was rushing past her faster than she could think and she turned to follow.

‘’Let’s go then!’’

She was taken by his joyful spirit and laughed, ‘’yes, let’s!’’

***

The next month there were four Guardians in the North Pole. Tooth had discussed what she’d seen but they didn’t seem to be worried. Since it was nearing Easter, North was free and agreed to go.

He threw a snow globe, stepped through and landed in the clearing beside Burgess Pond. The rush of magic was exhilarating as usual, he didn’t understand why Bunny didn’t like it.

Maybe it had something to do with most of his trips taking place in the air. Bah, didn’t matter. What mattered was finding Jack.

North strode through the snow toward the pond where he would be heard the farthest, took a deep breath and bellowed, ‘’JACK, MEETING TIME! GDE TI?’’

He heard a light poof of a body falling into a pile of snow and shuffling of him standing up. North turned around to see Jack hurrying toward him from behind the tree he must have fallen from. Jack laughed, ’’sorry, I thought it was tomorrow!’’

Something seemed to be off but North brushed it off like he did the snow on Jack’s hoodie and grabbed his wrist, missing the boy’s wince. ‘’Let us go then! To the Pole!’’

He threw a snow globe and pulled the light boy behind him.

***

The next month Sandy jumped to the occasion. He was curious about what Tooth had described and what North had most likely missed. He could be attentive when he needed to.

He rushed to the pond in one of his quietest airplanes. Sandy tried not to alert Jack to his presence so he could see what the boy was up to when nobody was watching. The forest was silent and serene, not a footprint off the trail. The small cave by the pond was dark.

He could hear a hitched breath coming from somewhere but he couldn’t pinpoint it. He landed by the pond and turned in a circle, looking where the sound was coming from. He ended up turned to the cave. It was too small to fit an adult, but maybe not an underfed teenager?

Sandy rose in the air and started floating to the cave when a gust of wind kicked up a flurry of snow and the sound stopped. When the wind died down, Jack was standing in front of him, smiling, eyes red, almost sad.

‘’Hey, Sandy, it’s meeting time, right?’’ He didn’t have any of his usual cheer, probably too tired to even put on a show.

Sandy nodded, about to make a question from his sand, when Jack walked by him and took to the air. ‘’Let’s go then.’’

Sandy took his hand gently, remembering what North had said he’d done. Jack looked at him in surprise. ‘’What’s up?’’

He shaped a cloud of sand and got on atop it, patting the space beside him. A clear invitation to share the cloud. Jack seemed to be confused but nodded numbly and floated to sit beside Sandy. The cloud took to the air and floated to the north at a leisurely pace.

‘’Aren’t we supposed to be in a hurry? I’m always late, aren’t I?’’

Sandy shook his head, forming a heart and a plus sign, followed by a snowflake.

Jack shook his head in turn, ‘’but I don’t need any help! Let’s hurry.’’

Sandy stood and cupped Jack’s cheeks with his small hands. A cross formed in his sand. The symbols for the other Guardians, the gesture for ‘okay’. He repeated those a few times. Then he formed the snowflake and a question mark.

Jack wasn’t the best at reading Sandy but this time wasn’t hard. ‘’’’Are you okay, Jack?’’’’ He hesitated. ‘’Of course…. Of course I am. Why wouldn’t I be.’’

Sandy sighed and sat down. He knew he was being lied to but he wasn’t sure what to do about it. He was sure that what he heard was crying before he found Jack. People who cry usually end up sleepy, as far as he remembered.

He gestured at Jack to lie down and formed fluffy pillows. Jack tried to refuse but he insisted until the boy lay down. He could at least rest if not sleep. Sandy wasn’t sure what was wrong but he would help however he could.

***

Jack was late to the meeting, as usual, and Bunny was sent to fetch him. He tried to refuse, of course, but it was his turn, as North had called it.

Spring had almost come to the continent but it was still cold around Jack’s pond. Bunny jumped out of his tunnel and shivered. It was damn windy, that’s for sure. The wind kicked up snow all around him. He cursed it, probably Jack’s doing, the bastard.

Bunny swiveled his ears this way and that, looking for a sound under the wind. Nothing. When it died down he could catch a whiff of liquid copper and salt. A hitched breath as someone was calming his breathing. So the wind was a cover.

He followed his ears and walked up to a tree where, high in the branches, sat Jack. Bunny couldn’t see what he was doing, just that he pulled his sleeves down and started crawling his way down the branches. Odd, that.

Bunny waited for the lad to come down and ruffled his hair. Probably best not to be brash with the git when he was in a bad way. ‘’C’mon, it’s meeting day. Yeah, you forgot, let’s go.’’ He’d heard the drill by now.

It was probably telling that Jack didn’t make any remark about rodents travelling in tunnels and didn’t try to race him. Probably pretty upset still.

***

It was Easter and Jack had no idea what to do. He felt like he should help Bunny but he also felt like he wasn’t allowed to show his face in the Warren since he was the cause for the last Easter failing. He deliberated long and hard and decided that it was best to help. He could change the present but not the past.

He knocked on the earth three times and a tunnel opened for him. He was amazed that he got this privilege but reminded himself that he wasn’t special, the others could do that too. It was just a Guardian thing.

Jack jumped down the tunnel and raced the wind only to end up tumbling onto soft grass. He had to work on his landing all over again.

‘’What took you so long? My tunnels make travel faster, not slower.’’

Jack felt a laugh escape his throat. ‘’Ha ha, very funny, Jack’s not a rodent.’’ He got up and brushed himself off. That landing hurt a bit but he would never say so to anyone. Play it off, like he always did.

Bunny looked him over and seemed to deem him okay. Or whatever he did, Jack didn’t know. ‘’Come to help, have ya? Well, I’ve got plenty o’ work left.’’ He waved to follow with a paw as he went to the egg fields. ‘’Think you could herd eggs into the color river?’’

Jack jumped on the chance to help eagerly. ‘’Sure!’’

It sounded much easier than it ended up being. The eggs were much harder to herd than sheep, they were scared of his staff less that sheep and wiggled around it due to their small size so he had to make up different tactics to use.

When he was finally done with all the eggs, he was exhausted. The ice he usually made on his arms had almost melted but he didn’t care to replenish it. He could say it was sweat anyway.

Jack walked around the Warren, appreciating the beauty and motion of the eggs, until he found Bunny hand painting hundreds of eggs under a tree. The stream of beauty from him and the huge number of eggs was steady. He really was a natural.

Did Jack even belong here? When all he could do was the meaningless tasks.

He really should get more sleep when he knew he was going to see the Guardians, the emotions wouldn’t be hitting him as hard as they were now. They’re always stronger when he’s next to any one of them.

Bunny heard him coming and turned first his ears, then the rest of his head. ‘’Oh, Jackie. Done, are ya? Have a sit then.’’ He waved with the paw holding a brush. A group of unpainted eggs cleared a large space beside Bunny for him to sit.

Uncomfortable with that little space, and heck, he could crush an egg by accident, what if he swung his staff and hit one? He jumped onto the thickest branch of the tree. Bunny chuckled as if he knew Jack wouldn’t obey even this simple of a request but didn’t chastise him.

Jack tried to relax after the tiring day but he should have known that whenever he stops moving, his thoughts start. He sure hoped he had helped Bunny. What if he was just invading on his home?

He looked out down the hill they were on toward the valleys full of eggs. They looked like this last year. They didn’t end up going to kids like they were supposed to all because of him. He covered his eyes with his arm, willing himself to think of anything else. His eyes burned. His sleeve was damp.

Jack heard a thump. He lowered his arm to see Bunny crouching on another branch, looking at him with a serious face. Did he do something wrong?

‘’Jack.’’

‘’Yeah?’’ His voice was crap. Shit. He cleared his throat. ‘’What’s wrong?’’

‘’I should be asking you that.’’

‘’But I’m fine.’’ He tried to smile but his efforts were vain. ‘’Shouldn’t you be getting back to work?’’

Bunny shook his head without breaking eye contact. ‘’Guardians are more important than work.’’ He reached out a paint smeared paw. Jack looked at it for a second. Bunny waited for him to place a hand in the paw. ‘’You’re not fine, mate, that’s the smell of tears.’’ He reached for Jack’s sleeve. ‘’And blood.’’

Panicked, Jack tried to pull away but Bunny’s grip was solid. ‘’Bunny, don’t!’’ But it was too late. The ice protecting his cuts had melted away and they were oozing fresh blood.

‘’Mate.’’ Jack winced, ready for berating, for anger, anything, except for what he got. ‘’Jack, lookit me.’’ He didn’t seem angry.

Hesitant, Jack looked up through his bangs to see Bunny assessing his wounds.

‘’Not too deep, that’s good. Don’t seem to be that fresh, also good.’’ He looked up at Jack, ears tilted back. ‘’But that’s just the physical. How are you, Jack?’’

Jack looked down, unwilling to say the truth but knowing Bunny wouldn’t believe a lie at a time like this. He chose to remain silent.

Bunny waited for an answer. When it didn’t come, he sighed deeply. ‘’A’ight then, let’s get these treated.’’

Bunny jumped down the tree and looked up to Jack, holding out his arms. Jack was too tired to take offense and jumped down after him. His legs gave out below him so he just sat against the tree. Bunny seemed worried but walked off anyway. Jack pulled up the sleeves of his hoodie and sighed at the droplets on his skin, some clear, some pink.

Bunny returned with a first aid kit and basin with water. He set his things down and looked over the other arm too. ‘’Mate, you really felt bad to do that, huh.’’ He took a towel and dipped it in the water. He started cleaning the wounds gently, dabbing around the cuts instead of wiping them. Jack thought Bunny must have some experience with caring for wounds.

‘I wonder what made ya do it.’’ He seemed to be musing as he moved to clean the other arm. Jack remained silent. ‘’Not my business, got it.’’

‘’N-no, it is, it’s the Guardians’ business…’’ Jack couldn’t finish his thought.

‘’But you don’t wanna talk about it. I’m probably not the brightest emotionally.’’ Bunny put away the towel and put tissue paper on the cuts before starting to bandage them. ‘’Went and pulled your sleeve like that, what a blighter.’’

Jack shook his head weakly. ‘’No but that’s just what you do, it’s not your fault.’’

‘’My actions are my fault, Jack.’’ Bunny was as gentle as he could, careful not to wrap too tightly. His voice was soft, Jack was unsure he had ever heard it like that. For some reason it both made him feel better and his heart ache. Had someone cared for him in this way before? He couldn’t remember.

‘’There, all done.’’ Bunny laid a paw on the arm he was holding, instead of patting it or, better yet, smacking it like North would. This situation was delicate.

Jack spoke quietly, ‘’thanks, Bunny. Didn’t think you’d care.’’

‘’’Course I care. Why wouldn’t I?’’ He seemed to think about his question. ‘’Scratch that.’’

Jack managed a weak laugh. ‘’I was worried about that, actually. Whether I had a place among you guys, whether I should even come here.’’

‘’Didn’t want to do the work?’’ Bunny joked.

‘’No no, I did, I just… it was my fault. Last year.’’

The smack to the head was unexpected. Jack rubbed his head guiltily. ‘’No, you blighter, if I can forgive you, you should too.’’

He laughed, ‘’yeah, okay.’’

When Bunny invited him to stay, he was too happy to consider that Bunny could be doing it just because he was a Guardian.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to my friends who convinced me this was any good! I wasn't sure myself.


End file.
